Electronic watch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10754299-B2
Application number	US-201716076690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2017
Priority date	Feb 15, 2016
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

An electronic watch with a two-coil stepper motor including: a magnetized rotor; a stator including: first and second stator magnetic-pole portions, which are formed so as to oppose to each other through the rotor; and a third stator magnetic-pole portion, which is formed between the first stator magnetic-pole portion and the second stator magnetic-pole portion so as to face the rotor; a coil A to be magnetically coupled to the first stator magnetic-pole portion and the third stator magnetic-pole portion; and a coil B to be magnetically coupled to the second stator magnetic-pole portion and the third stator magnetic-pole portion; and a high-speed drive pulse generation circuit configured to output a drive pulse for driving the rotor to the coil A or the coil B, and wherein the rotor is rotationally driven in increments of 360° due to a drive pulse train formed of the plurality of drive pulses.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic watch, comprising:
a two-coil stepper motor including:
a rotor magnetized into two poles or more in a radial direction of the rotor;
a stator including:
a first stator magnetic-pole portion and a second stator magnetic-pole portion, which are formed so as to oppose to each other through the rotor; and
a third stator magnetic-pole portion, which is formed between the first stator magnetic-pole portion and the second stator magnetic-pole portion so as to face the rotor;

a first coil to be magnetically coupled to the first stator magnetic-pole portion and the third stator magnetic-pole portion; and
a second coil to be magnetically coupled to the second stator magnetic-pole portion and the third stator magnetic-pole portion; and

a drive pulse generation circuit configured to output a drive pulse for driving the rotor to the first coil or the second coil,
wherein the drive pulse includes a plurality of drive pulses,
wherein the rotor is to be rotationally driven in increments of 360° due to a drive pulse train formed of the plurality of drive pulses, and
wherein the electronic watch is configured to switch between a high-speed drive, in which the rotor is to be rotationally driven in increments of 360°, and a normal drive, in which the rotor is to be rotationally driven in increments of 180°, and
wherein the rotor is to be driven in the high-speed drive at a frequency higher than in the normal drive.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein the drive pulse train is formed of three drive pulses of the plurality of drive pulses.

3. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first two-coil stepper motor to be subjected to the high-speed drive; and
a second two-coil stepper motor to be subjected to the normal drive,
wherein a drive frequency of the second two-coil stepper motor is lower than a drive frequency of the first two-coil stepper motor.

4. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic watch is configured to select a high-speed drive pulse train or a normal drive pulse by switching a timing to select a specific drive pulse from the drive pulse train.

5. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein one terminal of the first coil and one terminal of the second coil are short-circuited.

6. The electronic watch according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of the plurality of drive pulses included in the drive pulse train is formed of a pulse for exciting the first coil and a pulse for exciting the second coil so as to be alternately repeated.

7. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detection pulse generation circuit configured to generate a detection pulse for detecting rotation of the rotor; and
a rotation detection determination circuit configured to determine rotation or non-rotation of the rotor based on a detection signal detected by applying the detection pulse to the first coil or the second coil,
wherein the electronic watch has a variable drive pulse formed of a part of the plurality of drive pulses included in the drive pulse train, and the variable drive pulse has a length changed depending on a result of determining the rotation or non-rotation of the rotor by the rotation detection determination circuit.

8. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein the drive pulse train has a duty cycle to be switched based on at least any one of a power supply voltage or a temperature.

9. The electronic watch according to claim 8 , wherein the drive pulse train has the duty cycle to be further changed based on an elapsed time from a start of the rotation.

10. The electronic watch according to claim 1 ,
wherein the electronic watch has a first drive pulse train for simultaneously exciting the first coil and the second coil and a second drive pulse train for avoiding simultaneously exciting the first coil and the second coil, and
wherein the electronic watch is configured to select which one of the first drive pulse train and the second drive pulse train is to be used as the drive pulse train based on at least any one of a power supply voltage or a temperature.

11. The electronic watch according to claim 7 ,
wherein the variable drive pulse includes the drive pulse train for avoiding simultaneously exciting the first coil and the second coil,
wherein the electronic watch has, as fixed drive pulses formed of remaining drive pulses of the plurality of drive pulses included in the drive pulse train, a first fixed drive pulse for simultaneously exciting the first coil and the second coil and a second fixed drive pulse for avoiding simultaneously exciting the first coil and the second coil, and
wherein the variable drive pulse is to be used irrespective of a condition, and which one of the first fixed drive pulse and the second fixed drive pulse is to be used as the fixed drive pulse is selected based on an elapsed time from a start of the rotation.

12. The electronic watch according to claim 7 ,
wherein the variable drive pulse includes the drive pulse train for avoiding simultaneously exciting the first coil and the second coil,
wherein the electronic watch has: a fixed drive pulse formed of a remaining drive pulse of the plurality of drive pulses included in the drive pulse train; and a second variable drive pulse to be applied to a coil different from a coil to which the variable drive pulse is to be applied, and
wherein the variable drive pulse is to be used irrespective of a condition, and which one of the fixed drive pulse and the second variable drive pulse is to be used is selected based on an elapsed time from a start of the rotation.

Assignees

• Citizen Watch Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takyoh Yu
• Fukushima Toshiaki
• Maeda Toshinari
• Iri Daisuke
• Matsuoh Daisuke
• Nishida Masatoshi

Classifications

• G04C13/11 Primary

  with rotating armature · CPC title

• G04C3/14

  incorporating a stepping motor (G04C3/02 - G04C3/12 take precedence {; generating commutating pulses in primary clocks G04C13/0463}) · CPC title

• G04C3/143 Primary

  Means to reduce power consumption by reducing pulse width or amplitude and related problems, e.g. detection of unwanted or missing step · CPC title

• H02P8/02

  specially adapted for single-phase or bi-pole stepper motors, e.g. watch-motors, clock-motors · CPC title